National Briefing | Northwest: Washington: Tacoma To Vote On City Manager

Voters in Tacoma will decide on Nov. 4 whether to abolish the position of city manager, a proposal spurred by the turmoil after the city's police chief killed his wife and committed suicide on April 26. A group called Time for Change gathered more than 7,000 signatures from registered voters, enough to put the measure on the ballot, the Pierce County auditor said. The petitions propose shifting many responsibilities to the elected mayor from a hired manager. The longtime city manager, Ray E. Corpuz Jr., had defended the police chief, David Brame, against accusations of abuse and was fired by the City Council on July 1.